Registering and recording means for musical instruments.



s. DEAN. REGISTERING AND RECORDING MEANS FOR MUSIGKL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIOJATION I'ILBD NOV. 21, 1906.

Patentbd Aug. 10,1909.

INVENTOR G m ATTORNEYS Hi l:

.1, had to the accompanying drawings, formcalinstruments, and particularly tomeans sion desired.

to the force of the blow delivered,topro BENJAMIN s. DEA QOF SAN rRlANoisoo, CALIFORNIA.

REGISTERING AND imconnmo MEANS son MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification or LettersiPatent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

Application filed November 21, 1906. Serial No. 344,363.

To a l? whom it may concern: y I

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN DEAN, a citizen of the United States of America, i and'a resident of San Francisco, county of 1 San Francisco, State of (lalifornimhave inii vented certain new and useful Improvements in Registering and Recording Means for Musical Instruments, of which the foll lowing is a specification, referencefbeingl ing a part thereof.

My-invention relates toimprovements in registering and recording means for muslcontrolled in its operation by a musical instrument when played to perforate musicrecord sheets, such music record sh'eets'being afterward employed for producing the melody thus played. I r

The particular class of music record sheet is one which is arrangedtohave several perforations thereinf' for each toneto be' produced, differently located widthwise of the sheet in accordance with the expres- In a co-pending application Serial No. 344,362, filed simultaneously herewith, I have shown and claimed recordingmeans in which a movable. part is given a move ment, the extent of which is proportionate duce the initialtone; and, in combination with this, I have shown. recording means variously controlled in accordance with the extent of movement of the said movable part. Specificallyl disclosed in suchapplication an inertia device with means for yieldingly opposing its'moveinent, the yield ing means being employed to measure the force of the blow. In the present application I employ means which; is timed in' its movement in accordance with the time 'ex-' pended in imparting a movement to the fin ger key eta-musical instrument" (or, to some other movable part of the musical instrument action), such, means controlling the ,re cording means in accordance with the dis tance to which it moves, so that while, in the specific mechanism of the co pending application I measure the force of the. blow, in the present application I measure the time in. which it takes to complete the move ment produced by the blow.. The object of my invention is. similar the present "case to the object of theinvening to produce a musical record, in which there is not only a record of the tones to be reproduced, but also of the expression intensity thereof, so that, when the record sheetis employed in a musical instrument or musical instrument player to reproduce the melody originally played, it will not only cause the reproduction of the actual tones but also reproduce the proper expression of the same. I

In order that my present invention may be thoroughly understood, I will now proceed todescribe the same'with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment thereof, and will then point out the novel features in claims 1 In the drawings: Figure 1 is a View in side. elevation of such parts of the apparatus in which the same is embodied as are necessary for a complete understanding of the invention. Fig. 2' is a detail sectional view taken substantiallyfupou the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail View in endelevation of certain parts. Fig. 4 is r a diagrammatic View illustrating the electric circuits employed between the circuit closing means and the perforating or recording devices. p

Reference character designates a musical instrument finger-key, or other movable part of a musical instrument action, the same being moved with different degrees of speed in the production of a tone. The said finger key 10 is connected through a pin and slot 11 connection with one arm of a bell crank lever 12, the other arm of which carries a contact member 13. The bell crank lever 12 is suitably pivoted at 1+1: to a stationary support- 'When the key 10 is operated, the end connecting with the bell crank lever 12 rises andswmgsthe contact member 13 vfrom left to ri ht as viewed 111 F1 1 1. Two circuit terminals 15, 16, are arranged in the path of movement of the said contact member 18,

.the contact member 15 bcijag secured to a stationary part 1 7, and provided on its rear face with insulating material 18, while the circuit terminal 16 is secured at one end to a stationary part 19, its free end being arranged to yield by reason of the fact that the terminal a whole is composed of a piece of thin spring metal. In its movement from left to right, as above described, the

contact member will first engage the circuit terminal 15. The circuit terminal is art-ion in thcsaid co-pendingapplica tion, be-l ranged at a slight angle across the path of mgvement of the contact member 13, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2, so that the said contact member will be slightly deflected as it moves forward, the said contact member being made of flexible material to permit of this. Finally the said contact member will pass over the end of the said circuit terminal, and will then engage the circuit terminal 16. The said circuit terminal 16 is made of thinner material than is the contact member 13, and will yield much. more readily, so that, as the contact member passes completely away from the circuit terminal 15, it will, in dropping over the end thereof, force the circuit terminal 16 slightly rearward. The contact member 13 reaches the limit of its movement almost directly it leaves the circuit terminal 15, and, in springing rearward in the manner described, it will be in a position to pass to the rear of the said contact terminal 17 upon its return movement. During this return movement itwill engage the insulated part 18, by which it will be still further deflected untll, in reaching its normal rest position (asshown in Fig. 2), it will be again permitted to swing back to a position in which, 111 its forward movement, it will once more engage the circuit terminal 15. It will not so engage the said terminal, however, until it s agaln moved forward, as, during its entire rearward movement it was insulated therefrom by the part 18.

The circuit terminals 15 and .16 are connected, respectively, with electro-magnets 20, 21, said electro-magnets being connected through a common return with the contact member 13, and the said electroanagnets 20 and 21 operate, the latter for the purpose of controlling a clutch by means of which movements are imparted to a moving contact carrying member, and the former to a means for arresting the movement of the said member and locking it in a position to which it has been so moved. A suitable source of electrical energy is indicated at 13 1. Means are also provided, whereby the said locking movement operates also to close circuit so as to control the recording means 1n accordance with the position to which the said moving part is moved. The clutch controlled by the elect-ro-magnet 21 comprises two friction disks 22, 23, the said friction disk 22 being rigidly secured to a continu ouslyrotating shaft 24, while the disk 23 1S loosely mounted upon the said shaft. and carries an arm 25, at the outer extremity of which is a circuit closing member 23. The said disk 23 is held in its normal position by means of a flexible spring 27, which extends therefrom and rests against a stationary pin 28. The disk 23 is arranged to be engaged by a lever 29, fulcrumed to a stationary support at 30,-said lever carrying the armature 31 for the electro magnet 21.

Normally a spring holds the armature and lever up against a stop 33. and, in this position, the disk is free from engagement with the disk 22. If, however, the electro-magnet 21 be energized so as to attract its armature, the lever 29 will be rocked upon its pivotal support 30 against the intiuence of the spring 32 to press the disk 23 against the disk 22. \Vhen this takes place, the disk 23 will be rotated with the disk 22, and such movement of rotation will continue for so long a time as the electromagnet 21 is energized unless such movement is stopped positively by some other means.

The armature 34 for the electro-magnet. 20 is carried by a lever 35, and to the said lever is also secured a segment 36, the face of which is provided with a plurality of notches arranged substantially concentrically with the axis of rotation of the shaft -1 24. The segment 36 as a. whole comprises, or includes a number of contact pieces 37, the said contact ieces being arranged in circuit with recordmg devices 33, which may conveniently comprise electrically operated sheet perforating means. Such perforating means may comprise, as indicated conventionally in Fig. 4, punches 43 carried by the armature levers and co-acting with dies 44 secured in suitable fixed positions. The arrangement of electric circuits in the present instance is such as to connect seven groups of contactpieces 37 with three electro-magnets 39, 40, 41 in such a way as to cause the energization of the said magnets inthvidually, collectively or permutatively in accordance with the particular group of contact pieces through which circuit is closed at. the time. Specifically the contact pieces 37 are connected with electro magnets 39, 40 and 41 as follows: The lowermost. group coniprises four contact pieces, three of which are connected, respectively with the said magnets 39, 40 and 41, and the other of which forms a part of a common return which leads through the generator to the op posite side of the said magnets. The set immediately thereabove comprises three contact pieces, one of which is connected with the electro magnet 40, the second with the electro magnet 41, and the third constituting a part of the common return. The third group from the bottom also comprises three contact pieces, one of which, however, is connected with the electro magnet 30, another with the electro magnet 41, and the third with the common return. The next or middle set comprises two contact pieces, one of which is connected with the electro magnet 41 and the other with the common return. The next or fifth group comprises three contact pieces, one of which is connected with the electro magnet 4-0, another with the electro magnet 39, and the third with the common return.

The sixth group comprises a two-contact pieces, one ofwhich connected with the electro magnet 40,'and the other with the common return, and the seventh or uppermost group comprises two contact pieces, one of whichis connected withthe.

electro magnet 39 and the-other with the common return. As a result of this, it will be apparent that when circint 1s closed position will result; and when thecircuit is closed through the thirdset, the electro magnets 39 and 41 will be caused to operate and to make two perforations, but the relative locations'thereof will differ from the relative locations of those made by the electro mag-.

netic devices 40 and 41 which were operated when the circuit was closed through the second setof contact pieces. In a similar manner a single perforation will be madeby operation of the electro magnettl when the circuit is closed through the'middle set, two perforations by the operation of the'electro magnetic devices 39 and 40 when circuit is closed through the fifth set and a single perforation by operation of theelectro-magnets 40 and 39 respectively when circuit is closed through the sixth and seventh sets of contact pieces.

The mechanism operates as follows: When a finger key 10 is depressed, contact, asbefore mentioned, is first made with the circuit terminal 15. so as to close circuit through the electro-magnet 21. The clutch disks 22, 23 will then be caused to engage each other,

and the arm 25 carried by the disk 23 will be moved around withthe disk 22 until circuit is once more broken by the fact that the contact piece passes away from the circuit terminal 15' and engages the circuit terminal 16. Engagement of the latter circuit terminal will cause the immediate energization of the electro-magnet 20, bywhich the segment 36 will be drawn toward the arm 35, causing the same to engage the circuit closing'member 26, and locking the part against further movement in either direction. In the engagement of the parts as thus described, the circuit closing member 26 will be caused to close circuit through the particular. group of contact pieces 37 which are opposite it at the time. This will cause the proper electro-magnet or electromagnets of the recording devices 88 to be operated, so as to produce the proper record, as will be well understood. The group of contact pieces 37 selected by the circuit closer 26 upon the arm 25, will, of course,

be selected in accordance with the amount of by the means herein described.

movement which has been imparted to the arm, and this amount of movement Wlll be directly proportional to the time which the contact member 13 took to pass across the circuit terminal But this time depends upon the rapidity with which the finger key 1.0 is operated, so that the recording means will be variously controlled in direct relation tothe speed of movement of the finger key; The expression intensity of any tone produced by operating the finger key 10 is likewise governed by the speed of movement of thetin er key 10, so that. by this means,

the expression intensity will be registered or recorded, and may be reproduced by the employment of the proper reproducing means in air-automatic musical instrument or musical instrument player designed to be controlled by the record sheet produced What I claim is:

1'. 1n apparatus of the class described, the combination with a movable element and recordin'g means comprising a plurality ofrecording members for. said movable element,

of selectingl neans for selecting recording -members to be employed in accordance with the length of time duringwhich the said element is moving.

2. In apparatus of the class described,-the

combination with an element arranged to be moved in the production of musical sounds, of music record sheet perforating means comprising a plurality of punches for the said element, and selecting means for selecting the punches to be employed in accordance with the length of time the said element is moving in order to produce the musicalsound.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an element arranged to be moved in the production of musical sounds, of a part arranged to travel-a distance proportionate to the length of time during which said element makess'uch a movement, recording means comprising a plurality of recording members for said element, and a selecting device operated in accordance with the distance of travel of said part for selecting the recording members to be employed, 4:. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an element adapted to be moved in the production of musical tones,

'of a continuously operating member, a part adapted to be engaged thereby during the gagement, and variously controlled in accordance with the relative positions of the partswhen they were so engaged.

6. In apparatus of the class described, thecombination with an element adapted to be moved in the production of musical tones, of two electric circuits closed successively by said element in its movement, a movable arm, electro-magnetic meansincluded in the first said circuit for causing the said arm to travel, circuit closing means, an electro? magnetic means included in the second said circuit producing the operation of said circuit closer, the particular circuits controlled thereby being governed in accordance with the posit-ion of said movable arm at the time of operation of said circuit closer, and music record sheet perforating means controlled by the saidcircuit closer.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an element adapted to be moved in the production of musical tones, of a contact arm controlled in its movement by said element, two circuit terminals arranged to be engaged successively thereby,

a movable arm, means producing the movement of said arm during the time contact is made with the first said circuit terminal, means engaging said arm and preventing further movement thereof upon the engagement of the second said circuit terminal, said means comprising a plurality of circuit terminals through which circuit is closed in accordance with the position of the said arm when engagement is made thereby, and music record sheet perforating means controlled by the last said circuit closing means.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an element adapted to be moved in the production of musical tones, of a plurality of music record sheet perforating devices, and means for operating the said music record sheet perforating devices singly, collectively or permutatively in accordance with the duration of time within which the said arm is caused to make such a movement.

BENJAMIN S. DEAN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE A. MAIENE, ELBERT WILLIAMSON. 

